Ryan Reynolds (in Wax) at Madame Tussauds Hollywood

HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Oct. 23, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- After three months of voting from thousands of fans, the results are in and Ryan Reynolds is the next celebrity immortalized in wax at Madame Tussauds Hollywood. In a first for the legendary attraction, fans were given the opportunity to weigh in via Facebook as to what figure they would like to see. In a close race between well-known stars Ryan Gosling, Anne Hathaway, Ryan Reynolds, Jennifer Hudson and Sofia Vergara, Reynolds came out on top due to a tremendous outpouring of support from his fans. Perfectly timed with Reynolds' birthday today, the figure is being unveiled to the public.

(Photo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131023/LA03083)

"Thank you to everyone at Madame Tussauds Hollywood for their hard work and talent," said Reynolds after seeing the completed figure. "This is undoubtedly the largest and most spectacular birthday candle I've ever received."

Madame Tussauds Hollywood offers its visitors a truly unique opportunity to interact with lifelike wax figures of Hollywood's most notable celebrities and iconic movie figures. Through the Facebook Choice contest, fans from around the world had the opportunity to engage with Madame Tussauds Hollywood and provide feedback on the celebrities showcased in the attraction in a whole new way…through social media.

"We always take visitor suggestions into account when deciding what figures to add to Madame Tussauds Hollywood each year, but by engaging with our fans through social media we are able to get direct feedback," said Colin Thomas, general manager of Madame Tussauds Hollywood. "Any of the celebrities we were considering would have been a great addition to the attraction. Ryan has an incredible fan base though and they weren't going to give up until he won!"

After three months, Reynolds was named the winner. Through the contest, self-proclaimed No. 1-fan Melissa Ortega from Dalton, GA, won a trip to Los Angeles to celebrate the official figure launch.

"I am a huge Ryan Reynolds fan and have seen all of his movies," said Ortega. "When I saw the Madame Tussauds contest to help select the next wax figure, I knew I had to jump into action to be sure Ryan won. I can't wait to see it in person!"

Although each process has variations, figure making at Tussauds Studios has not changed fundamentally since Madame Tussauds was founded more than 200 years ago. Utilizing approximately 330 pounds of clay, a team of 20 skilled artists took more than 200 different measurements and spent months shaping the Reynolds figure to look just right.

The figure of People Magazine's former sexiest man alive will be on display starting October 29, and joins the ranks of Hollywood icons such as Lady Gaga, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Michael Jackson, Justin Bieber and Rihanna in the attraction.

About Madame Tussauds Hollywood
Famed Madame Tussauds Hollywood is Los Angeles' premiere Hollywood destination offering guests the world's only opportunity to interact with incredibly lifelike iconic figures from the celebrity worlds of film, TV, music, sports and politics. Only at Madame Tussauds can guests "grab hold" of their favorite stars and enjoy countless interactive experiences. Lifelike figures of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Humphrey Bogart, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Aniston, Johnny Depp and Will Smith are among the more than 100 featured figures. Madame Tussauds Hollywood is located at 6933 Hollywood Boulevard, next to the renowned Chinese Theatre.

More information can be found online at www.madametussauds.com/Hollywood/, on Twitter at @TussaudsLA and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MadameTussaudsHollywood.

Contact:
Nicole Okoneski
Rogers & Cowan
310-854-8189
[email protected]

Natalie Logan
Rogers & Cowan
310-854-8150
[email protected]

SOURCE Madame Tussauds Hollywood